SC’s sub-categorisation ordinance gets Andhra Pradesh cabinet nod
Andhra Pradesh minister Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy said the ordinance was aimed at ensuring equal access to education and employment opportunities among all Dalit communities
The Andhra Pradesh cabinet, chaired by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, on Tuesday approved a draft ordinance on sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SCs) for reservations in educational institutions and government jobs across the Telugu state.
The development came a day after the Congress government in neighbouring Telangana notified the Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservation) Act, 2025, bringing into force the sub-categorisation of SCs — months after the Supreme Court allowed the same in August 2024 — for the implementation of 15% quotas in government jobs and admissions to educational institutions in the state.
Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, Andhra Pradesh minister for social welfare Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy said the ordinance was aimed at ensuring equal access to education and employment opportunities among all Dalit communities.
As was done in Telangana, the Naidu-led cabinet also approved the sub-categorisation of SCs into three groups based on population, backwardness and social cohesion.
“Group-I comprises 12 sub-castes including Mehtar, Relli and Pamidi for which 1% reservation is provided; Group-II comprises 18 sub-castes like Madiga, Chamar, Arundhatiya, Dakkal and Matangi etc, who would get 6.5% reservations and Group-III comprises 29 sub-castes including Mala, Mala Dasari, Mala Jangam etc, who would be given 7.5% quota,” Swamy said, adding the ordinance will come into force across all 26 districts of the Telugu state.
In other key decisions, the cabinet approved allocation of 21.16 acres of land at IT Hills in Visakhapatnam for Tata Consultancy Services for a nominal price of “99 paisa,” to establish its facility. “State information technology minister Nara Lokesh visited Tata House in October last year and made a strong pitch for TCS to set up a large development centre in the state. The company to invest ₹1,370 crore in this unit to create 12,000 jobs,” an official statement said.
It recalled that in the past, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken Tata Motors to Sanand in Gujarat by allotting land to them at 99 paisa. This marked a landmark moment for the auto industry in Gujarat, it pointed out.
The cabinet approved the new minor minerals policy –2025, aiming at increasing mineral production in the state, attracting more investments, promoting sustainable mining practices and ensuring transparent regulation, besides securing stable mineral revenue for the state government.
The cabinet also approved proposals to transform AP Mineral Development Corporation into a public limited company to enhance its financial strength and credit rating. The corporation would have four new officials as its shareholders. The cabinet approved the proposal of the APMDC to issue ₹9,000 crore worth of bonds.
The cabinet approved the delegation of authority to AP capital region development authority (APCRDA) commissioner to finalize bids for the construction of legislative assembly building at a cost of ₹617.33 crore and high court building at a cost of ₹786.05 crore.
